ecology
news archives
9

“The proposed scheme would be roughly equivalent to irrigating
Mexico from the North American Great Lakes. It would drive a canal 200
metres wide and 16 metres deep southwards for some 2500 kilometres.”

“ "Asia's wildlife is being sold on a massive scale throughout
the region for food, medicines and pets, and populations of many species
are declining or facing local extinction," said WCS scientist Dr
Melvin Gumal, a participant at COP-7 and Director of WCS's Malaysia
Program.

“The trade includes everything from small songbirds sold as pets,
to reptiles sold on a massive scale for their skins and their meat,
to animal parts for medicinal use. Even species once thought of as common
are becoming rare as they are being trapped, shot or snared and sent
to the marketplace. The result is loss of wildlife across the region.

“ "In many parts of Asia, it is easier to see animals in
the markets than in the forest," said COP-7 delegate Dr Kent Redford,
Director of WCS's Conservation Institute and originator of the "empty
forest syndrome" concept, used to describe forests after hunters
decimate their animal populations. "As animals that perform vital
roles in the forest as predators, pollinators and seed dispersers disappear,
other species will also go."

“In last 40 years, 12 species of large animals have become extinct
or virtually extinct in Vietnam due mainly to hunting and wildlife trade....”

“"After exposing the roots of the trouble, Pauly and Maclean
attempt to describe how the North Atlantic reached its current sorry
state. They document several problems—government subsidies that
distort the economics of fishing, ineffective governance at both the
national and the international level, and a lack of scientific information—all
of which, they contend, interact to produce a management regime at odds
with ecological reality. They conclude by recommending five measures
to restore the North Atlantic: Reduce fishing effort by a factor of
three or four; establish 20 percent of the ocean as marine reserves
by 2020; increase market-based attempts (such as eco-labeling) to move
the fishing industry toward sustainability; implement procedures to
expose unsustainable and illegal practices; and alter access and property
rights in fisheries to favor small-scale, place-based operations.”

While this article contains some arithmetic gaffs, it is recommended
for outline reading.

“Today nearly half of global consumers reside in developing countries,
including 240 million in China and 120 million in India - markets with
the most potential for expansion.

“Rising consumption has helped meet basic needs and create jobs,"
Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute said in a statement
to the press. "But as we enter a new century, this unprecedented
consumer appetite is undermining the natural systems we all depend on,
and making it even harder for the world's poor to meet their basic needs."

“The report addresses the devastating toll on the Earth's water
supplies, natural resources, and ecosystems exacted by a plethora of
disposable cameras, plastic garbage bags, and other cheaply made goods
with built in product-obsolescence, and cheaply made manufactured goods
that lead to a "throw away" mentality.”

The
Worldwatch Institute, State of the world 2004
W.W. Norton & Company, January 2004, 0393325393

“In fact, less moralising from the anti-whalers might even serve
their purpose better, if that purpose is indeed to save whales from
the harpoon. The economics of whaling is unlikely ever to attract much
hunting, and certainly nothing on a large scale. It is the politics
that excites: politicians champion whaling in Japan, Iceland and Norway
because it is popular to stand up to foreign bullying. Perhaps, too,
if there were less bullying, Iceland and Japan might feel less compelled
to lavish taxpayers' money on such elaborate and ambitious whale-killing
research programmes.”
—
“It is not fanciful to argue that [extinction of species] might
have already happened to some species of whale had their killing not
been banned. Recent research, recorded in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, suggests that the slaughter of over half a million
whales in the north Pacific between 1946 and 1979 caused such a fall
in their numbers that the killer whales that used to prey on them turned
their attention to other creatures, such as seals, sea lions and otters,
whose numbers have yet to recover. Whale stocks have recovered a bit,
but stand at only about 14% of their former levels.”

“Most people know that particularly loud noises can damage hearing,
but continuous background noise can also cause harm. The best research
so far on this topic was done in 1973 and concerned a high-rise public
housing project built over I-95 in Manhattan. The researchers compared
the reading levels of children who lived on the bottom floors, close
to traffic noise, with those who lived higher up, where the noise was
not as loud. All the children went to the same schools, and the income
restrictions for eligibility to live in the project helped control for
economic and educational backgrounds (which have by far the most significant
effect onchildren's scholastic achievement). For those children who
had lived in the apartments for at least four years, approximately 20
percent of the difference in reading scores could be predicted simply
from their floor number.”

“... evidence of the release of an enormous quantity of methane
gas as ice sheets melted at the end of a global ice age about 600 million
years ago, possibly altering the ocean's chemistry, influencing oxygen
levels in the ocean and atmosphere, and enhancing climate warming because
methane is a powerful greenhouse gas ....”
—
“ Methane clathrates are increasingly thought to play a role in
mass extinctions associated with significant climate change in the Earth's
history, and they are a large and exceedingly unstable source of greenhouse
gas, greater than the equivalent of instantaneously burning all the
oil reserves on Earth.

“Linking these dramatic climate events to changes in the methane
clathrate pool has important implications for the stability of our current
climate," said Martin Kennedy, an associate professor of geology
at UC Riverside. "The Earth has a large unstable pool of these
clathrates in ocean sediments today, and it is thought that a few degrees
of ocean warming could trigger large-scale release into the atmosphere.
We now have strong evidence of this doomsday scenario in one of the
most important intervals of Earth's biologic history". ”

“Tropical ocean waters have become dramatically saltier over
the past 40 years, while oceans closer to Earth’s poles have become
fresher, scientists report in the December 18th issue of the journal
Nature. These large-scale, relatively rapid oceanic changes suggest
that recent climate changes, including global warming, may be altering
the fundamental planetary system that regulates evaporation and precipitation
and cycles fresh water around the globe.
—
“ An acceleration of Earth's global water cycle can potentially
affect global precipitation patterns that govern the distribution, severity
and frequency of droughts, floods and storms. It would also exacerbate
global warming by rapidly adding more water vapor - itself a potent,
heat-trapping greenhouse gas - to the atmosphere. And it could continue
to freshen North Atlantic Ocean waters to a point that could disrupt
ocean circulation and trigger further climate changes.”
—
"If the North Atlantic becomes too fresh, its waters would stop
sinking and the Conveyor could slow down. Analyses of ice cores, deep-sea
sediment cores, and other geologic evidence have clearly demonstrated
the Conveyor has abruptly slowed down or halted many times in Earth's
history. That has caused the North Atlantic region to cool significantly
and brought long-term drought conditions to other areas of the Northern
Hemisphere over time spans as short as years to decades.”

“While Kyoto has become a convoluted, arbitrary and short-term
measure to mitigate climate change, C&C could
provide a simple, fair, long-term solution. And above all, it is based
on science rather than politics.”
—
“ The average global citizen is responsible for pumping just over
a tonne of carbon into the air each year. To prevent dangerous climate
change, while allowing for some population increase, the world has to
reduce that figure to around 0.3 tonnes per head.

“That target is not quite as daunting as it sounds. Emerging
technologies for generating energy without burning fossil fuel and for
increased energy efficiency suggest it is achievable within a few decades
without serious damage to the world's economic health.”

“The most affected species was the Guillemot Uria aalge [...].
Of two colonies existing in 2002, one has since disappeared and no new
chicks have been recorded at the other, where only 2-4 breeding pairs
remain. [...] “The already tiny Spanish population of the Guillemot,
differing in appearance to those elsewhere, was already minuscule before
the Prestige disaster [...]. However this was the final nail in the
coffin for the bird in Spain which lost its food sources as a result
of the oil spill”.”
—
“ “The most catastrophic decision for birds which the Spanish
Government made was to move the tanker Prestige away from the
Galician coast when they knew that it was losing the fuel that it was
transporting,” comments Alejandro Sánchez, Director of
SEO/BirdLife. “It is incredible that, given the devastating effects
of this disaster on wildlife, the Spanish Government has neither tightened
its maritime security procedures nor has it further invested in vital
equipment, such as tugboats and cleaning tankers.”

“You have 395,000 years of history, which sets some rules, and
5000 years that break those rules," Professor Ruddiman said. ”
—
“Previously, scientists assumed widely it was only with the onset
of the factory age that human activity had any significant effect on
the global climate. The prehistoric changes in carbon dioxide and methane
levels have been noted before but were attributed to natural causes,
Professor Ruddiman said.”
—
“Analysis of air trapped in ice cores drilled from the Antarctic
ice sheet show anomalous increases in carbon dioxide levels beginning
8000 years ago - just as crop lands began to replace previously forested
regions across Asia and Europe.

“About 5000 years ago, the ice cores reflect a similarly anomalous
rise in methane levels, this time tied to increased emissions from flooded
rice fields, as well as burgeoning numbers of livestock, Professor Ruddiman
said.

“The prehistoric practices apparently overrode a build-up of
ice that models predict should have occurred from 5000 years ago.”

“The amount of carbon dioxide that reaches the Earth's atmosphere
is spooky. In the 1980's humanity released over 5.5 billion tons of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere with a further 1.6 billion tons coming
from natural sources. The total amount of carbon dioxide released into
the atmosphere is nearly 7.2 billion tons. [...] The worlds oceans can
absorb up to two [error – million] billion tons of this released
carbon dioxide while the Earth can take up another two billion tons.
Physically the Earth can absorb a total of four billion tons while the
remaining 3.2 billion tons remains in the atmosphere. Globally carbon
dioxide is rising at 1.5 parts per million each year. The estimate for
carbon dioxide in 2035 is for around twelve billion tons per year. This
is not a good number when you consider the potential consequences of
global warming.”

While I do not trust this second document, it gives
useful background in simple language. As will be seen, it takes some effort
of imagination to believe that and ever rising atmospheric CO2 load will
not effect climate. [ab.]

“Phipps and colleague Richard Bennett say the benefits arise
mainly because farmers spray much less weedkiller and pesticide onto
GM beet, less often. Thus s aving a lot of tractor fuel and reducing
the impact on global warming, for example.”
—
“Phipps says their experimental approach, which they call "life-cycle
analysis", could easily be used to test the environmental impact
of other farming systems. "There's absolutely no reason why the
same methodology couldn't be applied to organic or no-till systems of
agriculture.”

Doubtless this method can be extended to wildlife impacts or other concerns.

“Countries are still arguing over the criteria for including
forestry projects in this equation, and how to measure their effects.
Many non-governmental organizations are uneasy about the importance
of 'carbon sinks' in the overall balance.

“Trees are temporary, and should not be on a par with reduced
emissions, says Rob Bradley, an energy specialist with the Brussels-based
Climate Action Network. "There's no long-term way of guaranteeing
that carbon stays locked up in a tree," he points out. "Sink
projects are not a viable alternative to emission cuts." ”

“Many
researchers believe that increasing amounts of CO2, belched
into the atmosphere by human fossil fuel use, will be captured through
nature's ability to lock up the carbon in soil organic matter and faster
growing trees. But it's not so simple. A new report, published in the
November 28 Science, shows that the availability of nitrogen, in forms
usable by plants, will probably be too low for large increases in carbon
storage.”

The article starts part way down
the page. It is worth reading, but is a wee bit ponderous.

“The definition of catastrophe in the Collins dictionary is "sudden,
extensive or notable disaster or misfortune": from the Greek to
overturn. The history of the earth and of life on it is full of overturnings,
many of them sudden; and tonight I shall focus on four such: those from
beyond the earth; those from within the earth system; those affecting
life in general; and those caused by the small animal species which
is ourselves. I will then say something at the end about what, if anything,
we can do to anticipate, prevent, mitigate or adapt ourselves to them."
”
—
“ "Markets are superb at setting prices but incapable of
recognizing costs." ”

This article covers the notion of catastrophic sources of dust
in the atmosphere, among other broad categories of ecological
threats.

“Over the past four years there has been no growth in atmospheric
methane concentrations compared to a 15% rise over the preceding 20
years and a 150% rise since pre-industrial times, ...”

From another source link:

“Although we can't be certain why methane concentrations have
levelled out, we think it is in response to emissions declining due
to better management of the exploration and use of fossil fuels (coal,
oil and gas) and the increasing recovery of landfill methane, ...”

Methane is thought responsible for approximately 15% of greenhouse action.

“Prior to the arrival of Columbus in the Americas around 1500,
the estimates of Native American population in North America ranged
from 2 million to 3.8 million people. But by the time major western
settlement by Europeans began in the 1800s, up to 90 percent of the
Native Americans may have died from smallpox, measles and other diseases
that had already swept the continent after being introduced by Europeans.”
—
“ The new study, which was just published in the journal Bioscience,
essentially concluded that in the early 1800s, large game animal populations
existed in much higher numbers where human populations were low. Where
Native American populations were higher, the animals existed in fewer
numbers, to the point of near extinction in some locations and instances.”
—
“ Many people have a vision of very little human influence on
the land around the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition," Ripple
said. "That wasn't the case. The impact of humans, even then, was
far greater than most people appreciate. And as we develop ecological
theories and management practices today, we must be careful about what
we consider pristine. With wildlife in the West, it was not in 1806.”

“Each year tankers, container ships and trawlers emit a quantity
of nitrogen oxides (NOx) similar to that released by the entire United
States, the study finds. "A single industry's emissions rival an
entire nation," says marine-policy researcher James Corbett of
the University of Delaware in Newark.”

This is pollution into the atmosphere.

In addition, there is the sea pollution created by the illegal cleaning
of tanks and holds into the high seas, in order to avoid harbour charges.

“... about
2,600 tonnes of oil are spilled in the Mediterranean every
day. In a year, these add up to 15 Prestiges. This spillage is from
regular, deliberate and illegal discharge of oil during tank washing
or ballast water exchange operations from oil tankers as well as cargo
and passenger ships. ”

These two types of pollution are made by all motor-driven, sea-going
vessels, not by just single-hulled oil tankers or the so-called “floating
dustbins”.

Pollution resulting from accidents and damage to ships at sea is a further
source of environmental damage.

editorial note:
there are some questions raised by the statement
on the quantity of oil spilt into the Mediterranean Sea.

If there is such high level of pollution in
the Mediterranean, why is its coastline not in a mess comparable to
that suffered by the Spanish, French (and now English and Belgian) coastlines
since the Prestige oil spill?
A partial answer is that most of the oil spilt will not be the heavy
residual fuel oil that was being transported
by the Prestige. Lighter oils are more volitile and evaporate
into the atmosphere.

If much of oil discharged into the Mediterranean
evaporates, why is this not mentioned in the first
article cited above, which is on marine-derived
atmospheric pollution?

“Warming trends like those found in these studies could greatly
affect ocean processes, which, in turn, impact Arctic and global climate,
said Michael Steele, senior oceanographer at the University of Washington,
Seattle. Liquid water absorbs the Sun's energy rather than reflecting
it into the atmosphere the way ice does. As the oceans warm and ice
thins, more solar energy is absorbed by the water, creating positive
feedbacks that lead to further melting. Such dynamics can change the
temperature of ocean layers, impact ocean circulation and salinity,
change marine habitats, and widen shipping lanes, Steele said.”
—
“ According to Comiso's study, when compared to longer term ground-based
surface temperature data, the rate of warming in the Arctic over the
last 20 years is eight times the rate of warming over the last 100 years.”
—
“ If the high latitudes warm, and sea ice extent declines, thawing
Arctic soils may release significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane
now trapped in permafrost, and slightly warmer ocean water could release
frozen natural gases in the sea floor, all of which act as greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, said David Rind, a senior researcher at NASA's
Goddard Institute of Space Studies, New York. "These feedbacks
are complex and we are working to understand them," he added.”

“Seagrasses are flowering plants that live in coastal waters.
There are 177,000 square kilometres of seagrass beds worldwide, an area
equivalent to about two-thirds of the United Kingdom. But their extent
has fallen by 15% in the past decade.”
—
“The atlas should raise awareness of the often-overlooked ecosystems,
says marine biologist Martin Attrill of the University of Plymouth,
UK. "They're extremely valuable habitats, and they don't get the
publicity they deserve," he says.”

“The problem is that the glaciers are melting at an accelerating
rate: according to scientific measurements, glacial retreat is now happening
three times faster than before 1980. In the past 30 years, 811 million
cubic metres of water (about three times the volume of Lake Windermere,
England's largest water body) has been lost from the natural reservoirs
of ice above Lima.

“Once these glaciers are gone, the rivers they feed will run
dry, and the tens of millions of people who inhabit Peru's parched coastal
strip will be left without water. Nor is this a problem singular to
Peru: on the Indian subcontinent, half a billion people are facing the
same plight as Himalayan glaciers begin an accelerated retreat.”

The relates to a journey around the world, looking at warming effects.